The private sector has invested about 80 billion US Dollars in Brazil's telecommunications over the last 12 years, but the vast size and low population density in the rural areas has resulted in limited national pervasion of telecommunication infrastructure... See More +The private sector has invested about 80 billion US Dollars in Brazil's telecommunications over the last 12 years, but the vast size and low population density in the rural areas has resulted in limited national pervasion of telecommunication infrastructure. This presents one of the biggest problems in broadening access to the Internet. The relatively low level of fixed infrastructure, both in the long-haul, and in the local loop for DSL-based broadband services, is one of the key constraints. However the lack of middle-mile infrastructure necessary to ensure all 5500+ municipalities are connected to the national backbones probably represents the biggest challenge to ensuring equitable broadband access across the country. The National broadband initiative launched in an effort to help to improve coverage and reduce the cost of broadband access, the government has begun a major broadband infrastructure development initiative which has set ambitious targets to triple broadband uptake by 2014. It aims to ensure that broadband access is available to low-income households, especially in areas that have so far been poorly served. The strategies adopted and lessons learned from both public and private initiatives will be valuable for other developing countries planning to promote better access to broadband, and are likely to have special relevance for other large emerging economies, in particular the BRICS countries - Russia, India, China and South Africa.
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